Courtesy of richardarmitagenet.com
I glanced at my WordPress dashboard and saw that this blog made it over the 500 posts mark at last – not a big deal when considering that it took six years. Analytics tell me that I posted in concentrated spurts the first few years, ramping up to the wild and crazy time from 2012-2014. But there were long periods when I didn’t post at all.
During those silent times, my fangirling evolved. Let me explain. Having spent over 25 years in various fandoms, I’ve experienced them as a process of phases. The first phase we all have experienced – the giddiness of discovering a new crush with the accompanying squeeing and desire to find like-minded souls. Then the girlishness progresses to an avid following. The infatuation stays strong but a bit of the breathlessness tapers off. Finally, there’s the third stage when the ardor wanes and heads down one of two roads. The first path leads out of fandom and fangirling – full stop – with the crush kicked to the curb. The second way continues to hold interest in the crush’s work, but the initial passion is gone.
After six years, I’ve hit the third phase. Mind you, I’ve not been the typical Richard Armitage fan. In fact, the ongoing joke has been me as an anti-fangurl who is the first to scream the emperor has no clothes. (And I’ve been a pretty fab anti-fangurl I might add). But alas, I’ve come to that fork in the road where the thrill is gone and I have to decide what happens next. Don’t get me wrong. I still like RA and enjoy his work. And he’s still easy on the eyes. But the lack of keen interest has made it difficult to blog about him as in the past. So should I close shop and move on? Should I direct my focus away from him? Can I write about him occasionally? If I stop, will I have any readership left? Can the blog survive a transition?
Most importantly, what becomes of The Man? I’m not being funny here. I enjoyed writing the series; it exercised my writing muscle and entertained the fan readership at the same time. However, the inspiration behind the series *cough* may have been a certain actor *cough*. Can I find the MIA muse and bring it back? Will the readership stick around for fiction having nothing to do with their crush? At this point, I have no answer to any of these questions. There’s just a persistent feeling that something has to give.
I welcome feedback here. Please let me know what you think or if there’s a happy compromise.
Miss Judiang, I love your blog posts–essays and writings, etc.! Whether or not they are RA centered. We–myself and others– may have come together to read your blog because of RA, but we stayed because of you. So write what you want or not. Blog when you want to, or not. And do let us know if Chat will be jump started again. Such fun! Hugs & Cheers! Grati ;->
Thanks Grati. I haven’t thought about the chat room in a long time. Right now, it probably be resurrected.
I will still always read your blog. Always! (you gave me the bubble rule)
Also, you have readers here and your blog was always set up as a blog about being a fan, not just about Richard Armitage (hence the title) so I don’t know why you couldn’t publish other stuff here. It seems like a good place to start anyway.
re: other stories — I guess you will have to see what happens!
Thanks Serv. You know it’s your fault I have the blog in the first place. 🙂 I’m still thinking about what to do next. Maybe I’ll keep the regular format and introduce changes gradually as they occur to me.
This did not throw off a “subscribe to comments” confirmation message. Hmmm. But your blog says I am subscribed to this entry. Hmm.
The blog is very touchy. No clue why it works some times but not others. Grrr.
I’ll enjoy reading your other writing as well (and even watching yodellers!)…. although I have to admit that if The Man would resurface I would be quite intrigued.
Thank you Sue. Speaking of yodelers…more to come! LOL! The Man may make an appearance, just not sure when.
Whatever happens I hope you won’t erase this blog. There’s a lot of fandom history here.
Hadn’t really thought of that. Don’t worry, I’m keep it up. 🙂
Interests change – there is no obligation for you to keep this blog exclusively RA. If he is not the muse anymore, then don’t force it but go whichever way you feel you ought to go. I don’t think your core readership is going to feel offended by that, or turn away from your blog. You may lose some and win others. But that is normal for any blog, too. I have enjoyed your writing – and yes, particularly The Man – and will continue to follow here, no matter what.
Oh, and like Serv said – please don’t shut down this blog. It would be such a shame if your previous posts (and not just The Man) were lost to the eager readership out there.
Thanks Guylty. I’ve been looking back through posts trying to pick up threads of inspiration. I’m keeping it up. 🙂
Judi, don’t close it down.
Welcome the new developments, go off in a different direction. I said that on my Facebook page this week – that the muse can return by just shifting writing location. In your case, it may just be shifting the focus of the blog.
Look at RA after all! He’s moved a long way from North&South and Robin Hood. And he changes his focus with each new acting contract.
Good luck, duckie! We’ll be here.
It’s very true what you say, Prue. RA has indeed been changing his focus. Why not a blog? I know you changed your blog for a specific reason which was great. I’m trying to figure out where I should head. Hmmm.
The answer will come when you least expect it. If you’re anything like me, right at the most obscure and ridiculous moment. I think the muse has a great laugh at my expense most of the time! 😉
If you build it, we will come! Delighted you are back on blog 🙂
Hey there Fitzy! Your posts were a mainstay of the blog. I really appreciate the help you gave to get me going. 🙂
Have always enjoyed reading your blog whatever the content. And you should continue/not continue only if that’s what you want to do. I myself write very sparingly and about such a disparate collection of subjects I’m always surprised that anyone bothers to read it! But as others have said, whatever brought us here we stay for you.
Btw…are you coming over to the UK to see Tennant playing Don Juan in Soho? I’m seeing it in April. I thought of you when it was announced.
Thanks Kathryn! All the kind comments have made me realize that, yes, there is a core readership still out there. I assume they had disappeared.
About DT – I have tickets to see him on June 9th, his penultimate performance. I’m not sure if I will actually get there depending on finances and the new US/EU visa fiasco (I initially intended to go to Paris, chunnel to see DT, then return to Paris). Let me know what you think of his performance!
I’m not sure I know what phase 3 is. Or even phase 1 for that matter… My obsessions tend to grow on me, and then linger forever. 🙂 So those of you who have your squee, then drop ’em lot a hot potato years later – just doesn’t process to me. Ah well!
Thanks for saying that, Trina — I don’t like to question Judi b/c she’s the old hand at this, but I’m not experiencing a fade off. I think, in fact, that just in the last ten days I’m experiencing relapse into Judi’s stage one …
Sorry Serv, I didn’t mean to generalize so. Rusty thinking there. I didn’t mean to imply that all fans must experience the phases. Obviously you and Trina did not which is just fine. Which makes me wonder: are you and Trina more prevalent than I’ve seen, and why do some crushes burn out and others continue to burn brightly?
I really have no idea. i don’t think I’m a very typical fan, though; I just had another reminder of that recently. Ah well.
Hiya Trina!!!! You are still in phase 1. Maybe I should have clarified that fans must necessarily pass through each stage. (Heck, my mom stayed stuck on Laurence Olivier her whole life.) It’s just been my observation, with exceptions, that many fans seem to pass through stages.
You know, I have been wondering what The Man thinks about having to do yet another tv interview and answering the same questions. Feeling a bit bored, but wanting to be gracious like his mum taught him. Maybe your ennui with this dude might actually match well with that mood. (Just a wishful thought.)
*winks at Sue* I see what you’re doing there… Duly noted and processing…processing… 🙂
Judi,
Just write whatever you want to. I have enjoyed your writing on whatever subject you have wrote on. Really enjoyed your posts on music.
I hit that fork in road awhile ago and didn’t even realize I was at that point until long after I was down that other road. There where events in my life that where happening at the same time and what I found myself going to was music, something that I have always loved and makes me feel grounded. I still keep up with what Richard is doing just not as intense as before.
Hi there Katie. I fear we’ve lost a lot of the old guard in fandom. It would be nice to get a group of us together to discuss which way post-RA has taken us, but not many are still hanging around. :/
So true about the old guard, I wonder how many just don’t comment anymore or that are just out of the fandom all together.
I think what happened to you happened to a lot of people — interest was lessened or they went down another path for their pleasure. In terms of bloggers, a lot of them seem to still be fans of some sort or another but they have left the intense phase for the casual one. Although some of them are definitely out, too.